


If You Can Carry My Luggage, I'll Join You On This Trip

by sweetayako15



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi needs a vacation, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Children, Minor/Past character death, Multi, Omega Akaashi Keiji, Omegaverse, first names used, past M-preg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2018-09-27 08:59:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9993209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetayako15/pseuds/sweetayako15
Summary: “We are encouraging young, unmated Omegas to sign up with our program to help keep the Omega Classification alive."It was that sentence that had changed Akaashi Keiji's life. Now, nearly seven years later, it's time for Keiji to move on with his life. Being held down by regret and missed opportunities, he needs a guide to show him the life that he deserves. But, with three young children at home, a fear of losing them, and possessing the Grand Canyon of low self-esteems, will anyone want to take up the challenge?





	1. Late Mornings and Past Choices

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is something I couldn't stop thinking about the past few days and had to bust it out. So it is un-beta'd for right now (I'm looking for a beta reader if anyone is interested). And I know, for those that follow me, that I need to update OSI, but Haikyuu was on the brain and I really needed to write this! I promise to get working on OSI asap!
> 
> The only warning I can give you guys (other than vague hints) is that I don't usually do warnings because it kind of ruins the character development if you know that they went through something before it is even revealed. I can, however, promise there will be no rape, under age relationships, or major character death in this story!

There are nights when sleep eludes heavy eyelids and the mind fills with thoughts that are usually pushed aside during the hectic daytime. Laundry left unfolded, mother still awaiting a call, or even the cat that continues to yowl that he has yet to be fed. A list starts to form behind eyelids as the pressure of only 24 hours in a day presses down in remembrance of the human body’s limitations. Sleep begins to feel like a luxury that only those that can afford an army of maids can afford. And even to those that can, it will still never be enough to quiet the nagging of regrets. There is never enough time to do everything that is needed.

This is the point that Akaashi Keiji is at in life.

 

* * *

 

 

The sun outside the window finds its way through the opening of fabric as the clock tick tocks its way to 9:00. The room is standard, if not a bit messy. Queen bed just under the window, one nightstand that doesn’t quite match the bed (but it was a good find at the thrift store), a desk in the corner with a desktop and thousand papers, and a closet filled with clothes that each have a defining stain somewhere on them. The only door in to the room is ajar, allowing the clattering of dishes to echo into the otherwise quiet bedroom.

A low groan of annoyance echoes through the room as the grey duvet shifts and the pillows give way to the pressure of a body rolling onto to them. A particular squeal of laughter completely opens sage toned eyes, only for them to snap back closed with another groan. Tussled black hair tries to merge into the pillows below, but before the clatter of metal hitting tile has it leaving the soft material before the fusion can be completed.

Sitting up, Keiji looks towards the door as multiple voices begin to get closer. Keiji closes his eyes to try and mentally make himself disappear as the door opens all the way, one annoying happy Alpha walking in with a tray in one hand and a rather squirmish four year-old tugging on his other. The child lets go of the Alpha’s hand in favor of running over to Keiji and attempting to climb onto the bed, causing the tired man to sigh before helping the child onto the bed.

“What are you doing here so early for, Tooru?” Keiji asks as he tries to smooth out the child’s hair. “I thought you said you would be here around ten to pick them up.”

“Keiji,” Tooru sets the tray on Keiji’s lap and scooping up the toddler into his arms. “It’s almost elven.”

Keiji stares at the tray in front of him, trying to take in Tooru’s words and the sight of a full course breakfast on his lap at the same time. His head whips up, eyes wide with panic, and his mouth open with an apology ready. But before he can utter more than the first syllable, Tooru shoves a piece of toast into his mouth.

“It okay, Keiji. The kids were all still asleep when we got here,” Tooru explains.

Which also explains why Keiji’s one and only daughter, little Aoi, is currently in Tooru’s arms, looks like she just pranced out of a fashion magazine. The Alpha grins, proud of his work on dressing her.

“So,” Keiji chews on the piece of bread in his mouth, “Hajime came with you?”

Tooru nods before setting Aoi back on the bed. “Yeah, he’s with the other two in the kitchen cleaning up,” He watches Keiji hand the toddler a strawberry from his plate while she holds up the toast for Keiji to take a bite, his smile dropping ever so slightly. “You know, Keiji, Hajime and I don’t have to take the kids today if you don’t want us to.”

“No,” Keiji swallows the rest of the toast in his mouth, “It’s your guy’s turn this weekend, no need to disrupt the schedule now that the kids are used to it.”

“But-“

“I had the kids up late with me last night to watch movies, so I had more than enough time with them to last me a couple of days,” Keiji smiles at Aoi as she eats some scrambled eggs, getting the mushy yellow substance all over her face.

Tooru reaches over to wipe the child’s face. “Is that why they were all still asleep when we got here?”

“Well, they all woke up around 3 in the morning for water and the bathroom and refused to go back to bed for an hour, so that is more likely the cause,” Keiji swats away Tooru’s hands and cleans Aoi’s face with his napkin. “Besides, they all kept talking about what their Daddy and Papa are going to do with them this weekend,” He smiles as he looks back at the Alpha, an eyebrow raised.

“You do not play fair,” Tooru pouts as he reaches out to pick up Aoi again. “Are you excited to come see me?” He asks, pressing his forehead against hers.

He receives only a half-hearted smack on both cheeks as Aoi pushes away from him. Keiji lets out a small laugh, setting the tray of half-eaten food off to the other side of the bed. He stands, stretching a bit, before taking Aoi, who buries her face into his chest. Her hazel eyes peek up at him before disappearing again, filling his gaze with her unruly brunet hair.

“She’s so quiet,” Tooru’s lips tighten, “Especially for an Alpha.”

Keiji only hums, running a hand through her hair before placing a kiss on the crown of her head. It was true, with her being unusually quiet for an Alpha. Even if she were an Omega, she shouldn’t be this quiet…

“I’m sure she will come into her own soon,” Keiji heads towards the door. “Besides, she talks a lot to Hajime.”

Tooru pauses, watching Keiji leave the room, a small smile forming on his lips. He gathers up the abandoned tray and follows after Keiji, stopping only to glance at the messy desk in the corner. Above it there is a large calendar filled with reminders and appointments, with variously coloured circles sporadically placed over the paper. However, the current date is empty other than a messy scribble of “Children visit Dads for the weekend”. Tooru places the tray back on the bed and looks for a pen in the drawers of the desk. Finding one, he writes above the note in clean, large handwriting before placing everything back and grabbing the tray once more. He makes sure to close the door behind him.

As Tooru arrives in the small kitchen with the tray in hand and a hum in his nose, he freezes as his face comes in (unexpected) contact with water. Blinded for a moment, all Tooru hears is dead silence followed by a rather disappointed sounding sigh.

“I thought you said they were cleaning up,” Keiji’s voice manages to ring perfectly through the rather small room.

Tooru blinks one eye open to see Hajime with a sopping wet towel in one hand and a sponge in the other standing in front of the stove. Across the room from him are two children that are absolutely drenched through. They are both a bit larger than Aoi, who is looking at the mess with a large smile, not seeing Keiji’s opposing frown.

“Well, they _were_ cleaning when I left them. But they seem to have just made a bigger mess,” Tooru glares at the offending trio, setting the tray down with a small splash of the water now at the bottom of the tray.

“But Papa, we cleaned!” One boy defends.

“We did! Daddy showed us this…” The other struggles.

“Hose!” The first supplies.

“Yeah, yeah! Daddy showed us this hose to help us clean!”

“And we started splashing and-“

“Boys,” Keiji speaks up over the start of banter. “Could you please go get the old towels out from under the bathroom sink for me, please?”

Both boys nod and start to leave, but Tooru steps in front of them and puts a hand up. “I’ll go get the towels. You two are way too wet to walking around on carpet like that.”

Keiji shakes his head and sets down Aoi, telling her to go help Tooru. Once his daughter is safely away from the wet mess that was once his kitchen, Keiji turns to his sons that are staring at him. They both share his eye colour, where as Aoi’s were a light brown, but all of his children are much more expressive than himself. He sighs before starting to step over the water puddles to get to one of few working draws in the room. He tugs at it, jiggling it a bit till it finally gives and reveals a few kitchen towels.

“Kazuki and Masaaki, take these and start wiping down the counters,” Keiji smiles as he hands the towels to them.

They nod, heads low. In perfect harmony they look up at Keiji. “We’re sorry, Mama.”

Keiji runs his fingers through both boys’ hair, one darker brown than the other, kissing the top of their heads. “Let’s get this cleaned up before you leave, alright?”

“Want me to help them?” Hajime offers, an apologetic smile on his lips.

Keiji nods just as Tooru returns with the larger towels, Aoi half-carrying, half-dragging a towel behind him. Hajime lifts the boys up one at a time so that they can clean the counters as Tooru and Aoi (to an extent) toss the towels on the floor, using their feet to dry up the water. Keiji begins to help with the floors, making sure Aoi doesn’t trip over the fabric. The children’s giggles begin to fill the room as they eventually begin to play instead of working. But Keiji can’t find it in himself to be upset at his children, they are only four years old of course.

 _‘And besides,’_ Keiji thinks to himself as he pauses to look up from his foot on the towel, smiling at the sight of all his children hanging off the Alphas. _‘This is pretty domestic.’_

 

* * *

 

 

“That’s everything!” Tooru announces as he shuts the trunk of the car.

The sun is out, warming the winter air a bit. But Keiji makes sure all three litter mates have coats on before they go outside to play near the car, excited to stay with Hajime and Tooru for the weekend. Keiji feels the usual tug of longing that he always gets when it’s the Alphas’ turn with the children, but he pushes it aside with a small smile. The kids are happy, and the schedule works very well for everyone- it has for the past three years in fact. And Keiji is not going to let some over-bearing, motherly instinct ruin that for his own selfishness.

“Everything but the kids,” Hajime calls over his shoulder as he walks up to Keiji. In his hand is a pile of letters and junk mail, handing it to the Omega. “You know, we can come get them later if you want to spend today with them,” Hajime offers with a soft smile.

‘ _Yes, yes, yes, yes-‘_

“No,” Keiji shakes his head, taking the mail. “You know, Tooru offered the same thing earlier. I thought you to would want to spend more time with them before they start their head start classes in the spring,” He teases lightly, knowing well how much Hajime and Tooru love spending time with their children. “Besides, I have arrangements that I have to attend to today.”

When Keiji finally looks at Hajime again, he has to fight to keep his smile in place. The Alpha is staring at him, eyes focused in on his own. It makes him want to submit, right here and now.

“Keiji, you do remember that today-“

“Hajime! Can you come get Aoi in her car seat? She’s throwing a fit again!” Tooru cries out, just in time for the Alpha and Omega to turn and see the child in question running up to them.

She runs straight for Keiji, jumping over the small cracks that litter the walkway from the driveway to the front door, hiding behind his leg. Both of them chuckle at her as Keiji reaches down to pick up his daughter, Hajime mirroring his headshaking. She leans against him, a hushed purring vibrates against his shoulder as brown eyes look up at him with longing. Keiji returns the gesture as he kisses her on top of her head before handing her off to Hajime, knowing that if he holds her any longer, he won’t be able to let her go.

“Be good for your Daddy and Papa, Aoi. I’ll see you in a couple of days,” Keiji waves at Aoi as Hajime nods to him as a farewell, carrying the Alpha child back to the car. He watches as they all get situated before pulling out of the short driveway, waving till they are out of sight. He continues to watch the street for a bit longer, as if they will return any moment for something they forgot. But his mind tells him that Hajime would never let them forget anything.

 _‘That’s why he and Tooru make such a good couple,_ ’ Keiji thinks with a smile before closing the door. He stares at the living room for a moment, mind wandering in and out of things he has planned for the day and things that he has had planned for the past ten years, before remembering the mail in his hand. He sits down in the large red sofa that took Tooru, Hajime, and himself to move into the small, quaint (“ _It’s very… you,” said Tooru when he first showed the Alpha where he would be living_ ) home three years ago. He got from a college friend, Kenma, that had moved in with his mate.

‘ _Ah, I’m supposed to go meet up with him today, aren’t I?’_ he thinks as he tosses another piece of junk mail onto the coffee table. He sets the mail aside and focus on the ticking clock above the television, something handed down to him from his grandfather. The kids would be gone for the next two days, returning Monday morning, and then he would have them for a whole week. He knows he should be happy that his children are spending time with their fathers, but there is that bit of selfishness that wishes he could have them all to himself.  Tooru always told him that he needed to find happiness in himself. But it was difficult for Keiji as the last time he did that was some number of years ago, long before he was a parent.

He had wanted to be a writer, to find a mate that would be up for travelling, someone that would be fine with just a pet cat for a number of years, and then maybe have a couple of children. But the creative industries are never gentle. Before he knew it, Keiji was walking the fine line of just making loan payments and being homeless. His parents… well, they had long given up on him, along with the rest of his rather traditional family. And so, at his financially burdened wit’s end, he traded in his dreams for a government scheduled plan with the Preservation Program. Keiji sighs, looking at the black screen of the television, remembering just how he had been convinced to trade away seven years of his life away to the Global Guidance Government.

_He had just gotten home, smelling like grease traps and salty disappointment. He had just finished a ten hour shift in the deli of a near-by supermarket, where the supervisors and customers alike would stare with confused disdain for the Omega. They often asked him for favors, some more insulting than others, due to the common knowledge of his need for money. It had been such a question that had his boss sending him home when he wouldn’t stop crying after a customer approached him about some “after hours activities”. He remembered stumbling into his studio apartment, dragging his feet to his bed (the only furniture in the whole place, save for two chairs under the breakfast bar). He tried to push away all the doubtful thoughts in his mind, and when sleep didn’t work, he turned to the old, 24” television in the corner. It was with a press of a flickering green power button that Keiji decided to change his life._

 “So what is this Preservation Program, Moniwa? I’ve been hearing about it, but I feel like I’m getting more opinions about it rather than facts!”   _A news host with smooth brown hair looks to his right on the screen, the news studio’s screen behind him shows the words: Global Guidance Government._

 _Another man with curly black hair smiles and nods his head. “_ Well, it is a program set up by the Global Guidance Government, my company. People would know us by our earlier name, Global Guidance Foundation-“

“But why the name change? It sounds a lot more political now!” _The news host cuts off his guest._

“Well, that’s because the issue at hand has become political. You see, with the decrease of popularity in Bonding, there has been a decrease in children being born between Alpha and Omega pairs. With Omegas already being the lowest percentage of the population, Alphas and Betas pairs began to become more common, leading to the creation of the new category. As we all know, there is a connection between blood types and Social Classifications, as people with A type blood are almost always Alphas, and B types with Betas, and O types with Omegas. In fact, there is a 98% chance that your bloodtype shows your Social Classification. But, in the past 200 years or so, we have a new blood type: AB. People with-“

“I don’t see what this all has to do with a program where Omegas get knocked up-“

“Futakuchi-san, I will get there. Please just let me explain,” _Moniwa gives the host a rather pointed glare._ “As I was saying, AB blood types. People born with this blood type cannot have their social class discovered until they actually present. Wombs or knots cannot be detected until they present. It is scientifically baffling. Along with this, these people have only a 50% of actually being able to have the functions of their Social Classification. Around half of AB Omegas are infertile, and half of AB Alphas cannot form knots. And because an AB child is born only from an Alpha and Beta pair, it is becoming a greater and greater problem in the continuation of Omegas, that come from Alpha-Omega or Beta-Omega pairs. The number of fertile Omegas presenting in the last 20 years has dropped by 15 percent. And that is where the Preservation Program comes into play.

“We are encouraging young, unmated Omegas to sign up with our program to help keep the Omega Classification alive. We set up and provide all of the serving Omega’s needs, including housing, food, furniture, necessary travel. We also help them find work or go to school- something that we encourage greatly and help pay for any school expenses, past or present. All the Omega needs to do is to agree to birth and raise children by 3 different Alphas, to keep the gene pool wide. We keep the pair from unwanted bonding, and every Alpha is surveyed and hand picked by my team of professionals by not only their genetic make up, but also their character. They are required to have an active role and help support any child they father, and any that we find to be unfit will not be allowed to participate. All the Alphas must also be un-bound, as to not cause any problems. Once the Omega has had their children and raised them to 5 years of age, the Omega has fulfilled their contract and is given compensation for the rest of their time raising the children.”

“So you’re saying this is like some sex vacation for Omegas?” _The host laughs._

 _The guest stands up and looks at the host with a sneer._ “No. It is a service job that only the strongest of Omegas can do. Mating without a bond can be painful for an Omega, and can be very trying on their bodies if they end up pregnant. I see that you do not care about the survival of this Social Classification, Futakuchi-san. You are the type of Alpha that would be rejected from our program,” _Moniwa looks at the camera,_ “If any Omega watching this would like to apply, you can call us at the number on the screen. Or apply on-line at our website: Preservation.GGG.com. Thank you for your time.”

_The next day, Keiji had an interview for the Prevention Program._

 

 

 

The ticking of the clock is what pulls Keiji out of the past. He opens his eyes, not realizing he had closed them. It was so long ago… and so much had happened since then. But he survived and now lives in a two story house with three little children that run to him when they need love and support. And really, he loves it so much- he loves them so much. He smiles and looks at the clock, his smile dropping as he realizes that he had been daydreaming too long. He doesn’t have time to reminisce anymore; he has to go get ready to meet Kenma.

As he goes into his room, and pulls various shirts and pants out of his closet, he begins to feel like it would be a better idea to stay home. He frowns as he lays out his clothing, getting deeper and deeper the more he pulls out. Nothing looks right. Shirts with stains and pants with holes… Even his skirts look dusty. He hasn’t seen Kenma in months, and all of his clothes look worse for wear, and the kids might need him, and- Oh god. He looks up at the mirrors of his closet door, eyes on the verge of tears. He takes deep breaths, trying to calm himself, but he begins to feel the tears on his cheeks. He needs to cancel with Kenma. But his phone…

‘ _On the desk,’_ he nearly runs over to it.

There it is, in all its grey glory, on top of a stack of papers. Oh, he needs to sort those out soon- it looks like an absolute mess. Everything is an absolute mess. Why can’t he-

Looking up from his phone, trembling fingers calming over the buttons, Keiji looks at his calendar on the wall. There in bubbling blue letters that could only be Tooru’s handwriting, stands a message against all the black and red.

_Happy Birthday Keiji! Have fun today!_

_-Love, Tooru_

There are times when Keiji absolutely thinks that Tooru deserves to have all of his hair products dumped down the drain in front of him. However, this time, he never felt more love for the smartest idiot he knows.


	2. The Past is Not the Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunches and memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, thank you to kccb16 who edited this chapter for me! I hope you all enjoy and please read the author's note at the end!

_Happy Birthday, Keiji. Have fun today!_

_– Love, Tooru_

Keiji looks up as the bus pulls up The tires give a weary screech as they come to a stop, relaxing into the ground as they are given a short break. After waiting for a few people to exit the vehicle, Keiji climbs up the steps and moves to an open seat near the front of the bus. He checks his phone, relaxing once he sees the time. Finding himself ahead of schedule, he leans back into the seat, pulling his black suede jacket closer around his body. It had been nothing short of a miracle that he had found the jacket and it still fit him. His hair is still a mess and his pants have a tear at the knee, but he tries to distract himself from nitpicking at himself with phone games. Really, it took a good while to convince himself to leave the house.  Hajime always tells him not to push himself into doing things that make him uncomfortable. But Tooru… he has never forced Keiji, but his encouragement has always left the Omega feeling like he will disappoint the other if he doesn’t at least try.

Keiji had watched Tooru for a while, ever since college in fact. He watched the Alpha break records on the volleyball court and in the tabloids when he and Hajime announced their mating status. Tooru did everything with an air of confidence and pride. But Keiji learnt over their time together that it was all just a façade. The Alpha was constantly putting himself in uncomfortable positions on the court and off. He was always experimenting with his own stamina- emotionally and physically. It wasn’t until he was forced to retire, due to an injury a little over a year ago, that he finally began to limit himself. Really, Tooru had lasted longer than either Hajime or Keiji thought he would, having reached 28 years old with a well-deserved number of awards won over his professional career.

‘ _At least the kids can look up to him in that aspect,_ ’ Keiji muses as the bus comes to another stop, people filing in and out once again.

Buildings, trees, and people blur together as the bus picks up speed on the highway. Keiji often thinks about getting a car to make commuting to the city from his home on the outskirts more convenient. But between the cost of a car, gas, and upkeep, it just would not be feasible. Maybe once the kids turn five in a few months…

Buildings begin to become taller and closer and the people multiply while the trees become few and far between. Keiji brings up the directions to where he and Kenma are supposed to meet, making sure to check each stop. After a few, Keiji is stepping off the bus in front of a rather impressively tall building that’s even a few stories taller than those surrounding it. Figuring the café must be inside, Keiji moves away from the drop-off area to under the overhang of the building. People filter in and out of the doors, a few sparing him a glance before continuing on to their destinations, narrowly avoiding other people in the shifting crowd. The crowd engulfs everyone with the sound of light hearted chatter and the rushing of shoes hitting the pavement. It’s a true urban stampede of wasting time and not enough time. Keiji fights back the urge to turn around and get on the next bus heading back towards his home.

He forces himself to take step after step after step after step while keeping his eyes forward. All the way until he is thanking a teenage girl for holding the door open for him. The warmth inside of the building is strangely as welcoming as it is repulsive, the human body heat trapped within the walls. The noise is more condensed, bouncing off the bright lights and white tiles of the department store. Omegas, Betas, and Alphas alike fill the air with their scents in a nauseating concoction of happiness, annoyance, fatigue, and a dash of jealousy. Keiji makes quick work of vacating the store into the main halls.

The glass in the arching ceilings allows natural light to shine through the multitude of levels and it reaches Keiji as he stops to look at a large map of the building. Glancing through the glowing names of shops and restaurants on the directory, Keiji nods before walking away.

‘ _Level 3… off of the escalator on the far end, a right, four shops down...’_

It’s a quaint little café tucked in between two large designer stores. A light shines from the back of the main room, catching Keiji’s eye as he enters. The room itself is not all that impressive, a good third of it is taken up by a cashier’s counter and a display case of pastries and breads. But what is impressive, is the deep brown frame of light that stares at him from across the room. A large wooden door with a built-in window sits across the room, letting natural light from the outside in. Between it and Keiji are seemingly scattered tables with chairs, a few people using them, and pictures that seem to take up every inch of the dark walls. Paintings and photographs alike, various subject matters intermingle with each other in a random order, making for a rather lively setting in comparison to the dark woods and dimmed yellow lights. Soft, acoustic music drifts through the speakers in the corners of the room. It was as if the room was able to slow down time itself.

A combo of quick vibrations in his pocket pulls Keiji out of his daze of appreciation. He looks down to read the text, only to snap his head back up in a matter of seconds. In the middle-back of the room, near a painting of bridge of flowers, sits Kenma.

Golden eyes flick up to meet Keiji’s and the smallest of smiles comes to his face, one that Keiji had to strain his eyes to see. Deep brown hair with golden tips sits high up on his head in a half-effort bun, out of the way of the red scarf the man is wearing on top of a black hoodie. On the table is a black tablet with some sort of typing on the dimmed screen, only vaguely reflecting off of the glass of water next to it. Kenma gestures to the empty chair across from him, a tilt of his head tells Keiji to come join him.

“You look well,” Keiji openly observes as he sits down, placing his bag in between his feet.

“Thanks,” Kenma taps out something on his tablet.

“How did you find out about this place?”

“Tetsu. He suggested it.”

 “Is that so?” Keiji’s lips feel a bit dry.

The other hums in agreement, eyes watching Keiji’s every movement, before opening his mouth, “You know you don’t have to pretend to like him.”

The tension in Keiji’s shoulders does not go unnoticed. The arrival of a waitress puts a pause to their conversation, the young girl, much younger than either Keiji or Kenma, places a menu between them and informs them of the daily specials. Taking their orders after a moment of pondering, the waitress leaves to retrieve a glass of cider soda for Keiji.

“So?”

Keiji glances up from where the menu had been. “So?”

“What have you been doing? You look exhausted,” Kenma asks, grabbing his glass of water to bring the straw to his lips.

Leaning back against his chair, Keiji folds his arms over his chest. “You’re being more difficult than usual.”

“No more than you are. What happened? You have more bags under your eyes than you ever did during finals.”

“You’re more talkative-“

“Keiji. What happened?”

Shoulders sagging, Keiji unfolds his arms to place his hands together in his lap. “It’s just… the kids. They’re going to start asking more questions soon and I…”

Kenma waits, straw back in his mouth. His eyes don’t move, focusing in on Keiji’s face, as if he is trying to read the other’s mind.

“You know, you have the worst ways of starting a conversation,” Keiji hisses indigently.

A shrug is the only response he gets.

“We haven’t seen each other in over a year, and this-“

“We still chat online. It’s not like I’m completely out of the loop. And you’re the one that avoided me,” Kenma defends, placing the empty glass back on the table.

“I wasn’t avoiding you.”

“No, you’re right. You’re were avoiding Tetsu and me. Both of us. Together.”

Keiji’s eyes narrow, “If you invited me here to accuse me of ridiculous things, then I don’t want to have any part of it.”

A sigh leaves Kenma’s mouth as he taps a few things on the screen of the tablet, shutting down the rectangular piece of technology. His jaw clenches ever so slightly, but before he can express himself, the waitress returns with Keiji’s drink and their food. She notices the tension, but continues to smile nonetheless, asking if they need anything else. Kenma hands her his glass and she leaves.

Keiji swears to himself that if the food didn’t smell so good, or that he hadn’t really ate much this morning, he would leave. Kenma has always been rather direct, but not like this. Maybe his mate has rubbed off on him, with his knack of pissing people off. Kenma used to be more of an observer than an instigator, only really attacking people when they became too much of an annoyance. He used to be Keiji’s best friend, supporting each other through school and emotional problems alike. Hell, Kenma was the one who told his father to leave when they came to force Keiji to come back home. Kenma was always there for him.

“I’m sorry,” Kenma murmurs, picking up his fork. “I’m just… worried.”

Such a soft voice. Keiji feels a pang of guilt as he looks at his caprese sandwich. Really, it’s been almost 8 years since college- things are bound to change.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around more… I just wanted to give you two your space.”

Kenma gives a small shrug. They both know Keiji is lying. He grew too attached to people and places to simply “give them space”. He was selfish in that aspect.

“…So how are the kids?”

Keiji smiles a bit, “They’re good. Aoi is still not very talkative, and her brothers keep getting into more and more trouble every day. But they are with Tooru and Hajime this weekend.”

“How are they doing?”

“Good. Tooru got a job coaching at a college, and Hajime is thinking about opening his own practice soon.”

“I heard about Tooru. Tetsu is glad he finally moved on from the injury thing.”

“I am too. He was rather insufferable when I lived with them,” Keiji takes a rather aggressive bite out of his food.

 Kenma gives a slight smile at that. “Isn’t that why you moved out?”

Nodding, Keiji finishes the first half of his sandwich rather quickly. Really, Tooru could be annoying at times. Kenma was half right; Tooru was part of the reason Keiji moved out. But if anyone was to ask, Keiji would tell them it was completely, absolutely, one hundred percent Tooru’s fault.

“So,” Keiji begins as he debates on if he should eat his other half of a sandwich at the moment, “I heard Kuroo switched to the National team from the Olympic one.”

“He won’t shut up about it,” Kenma scoffs.

“Even now?”

“I’m pretty sure he does it just to annoy me. But it’s more the people he’s playing with rather than the switch itself,” Kenma sighs the last bit.

Keiji raises a brow, encouraging the other to continue.

“See, there are a couple guys on the team that Tetsu knew in college, and one that we both knew in high school. I guess putting them all together is the recipe for three hospital visits in the last two months.”

Keiji nearly chokes on his food. “ _How?”_

“Trust me,” Kenma lets his head fall back in exasperation, “If I could find a cure for absolute stupidity, I would make them all swallow a gallon full.”

Keiji nearly laughs, but suppresses it. No need to scare the other patrons and workers with his cackle of a laugh.

“They can’t be that bad,” Keiji tries to act sincere, but his smile betrays him.

Kenma snaps his head forward, eyes firmly locked with Keiji’s. “Have you ever heard of Bokuto Koutarou?”

“He’s a wing spiker on the National team, isn’t he? Hair almost as ridiculous as Kuroo’s?”

“At least Tetsu _tries._ Bokuto does his on purpose,” Kenma glowers.

Keiji shouldn’t be smiling, but it’s always a treat to see Kenma showing so much emotion, even if it is rather negative.

“He’s the worst one of all. Has been since high school. He can’t control his moods or his scent, doesn’t realize his own strength, and he is far too loud for someone that is so simple. He’s a very obnoxious Alpha,” Kenma seethes.

“Hmm… Sounds like your favorite kind of person,” Keiji can’t help but tease.

Kenma glares at him, but deflates. “He’s not a bad person, really.”

“Just an idiot?”

Kenma smiles, “Exactly. An idiot that makes Tetsu act like one, too.”

“ _Act?_ I’m pretty sure you’re just blind to half of the stuff that man does.”

“No, I just act like I don’t notice and save it for later.”

Silence follows their quiet laughter, but neither feel uncomfortable. Kenma turns to his phone every now and then, typing out something or other. Once the waitress comes back around to take away their dishes and leave their separate checks, Keiji looks at Kenma.

“I did miss this, you know.”

Kenma nods his head, not looking up from his phone. “Me too. You are much quieter than the other people I have been exposed to lately.”

Keiji gives a small smile. “Now that the kids are about to begin classes soon, maybe we can do this more often.”

“Are you telling me that you are going to get lonely without them around?”

“Ha, I will enjoy my short time of peace once it comes. But,” Keiji looks down at his hands, smile dropping a bit, “Just thinking about it has me rather lonely, to be honest.”

Kenma finally sets down his phone, looking at his friend. “Do you still feel the same about trying to court with someone?”

“Kenma, you’re good at probabilities. The chances of me being able to find anyone willing to court with, much less mate with, are slim to none. I gave that up when I joined that program,” Keiji sighs.

Kenma stares at the other for a while. “Chances are low due to cultural views on Omegas, but a chance is still a chance. But, I won’t force you.”

A small nod of his head is all Keiji can give to end the matter, as he reaches into his bag. Deep down he knew he would love to settle down with someone, but he had to be practical. Not just for his own emotional sake, but his children’s as well. There was no point in changing their lives for someone that wasn’t going make a long-term difference. He was already dreading the future question of “why don’t you live with our dads”. They just settled down into the schedule between him and their fathers, and with classes about to start they were going to experience new things and people that will confuse them. Realistically speaking, there was no room for additional variables in Keiji’s life. And reality is something he cannot change, unlike the additional drink charge on his bill.

\-------------

Collapsing onto his couch, Kenma sighs. It was nice seeing Keiji again, really it was. But his friend has changed so much over the years. Not in the physical sense- they all did that. But Kenma saw it in the way Keiji spoke and the way he walked, always so cautious. When they first met, Keiji was polite and planned out everything, but he was always direct and made sure to get his point across. Even after his parents disowned him, he always stood firm. He always knew what he wanted and how to get it.

“I’m home!”

Kenma tenses for a split second, quickly recognizing Tetsu’s voice. “Welcome back.”

“So I was thinking-“

“No.”

“Awe, come on! I was thinking that we could have a small get together this weekend with some of the team and their mates!”

Kenma hears the fridge open. “Then I’ll be working that day.”

“Kenma, please? How about this: You pick five people for me to invite?”

“1 person.”

“3 people.”

“Two.”

Tetsu sighs. “Fine, two plus their mates.”

“Then Sawamura and someone who isn’t Bokuto.”

Feet pat against the floor, “Kou isn’t that bad! But you have a point since he doesn’t have a mate and-“

Black hair, still as ridiculous as the day he decided he wanted it long, and brown eyes loom over the back of the couch. His smirk disappears quickly, looking more concerned and a bit curious.

“Something bothering you?”

“No.”

They stare at each other.

“You’re lying.”

“No I’m not”

“You are.”

“I’m just laying here.”

“Exactly. Just lying there with no games, no phone, no anything. Just staring at the ceiling. You only do that when something is on your mind.”

“Unlike you, my mind is always working.”

Tetsu’s smirk returns with a chuckle. “So how did your thing with Akaashi go?”

Kenma purses his lips, looking away.

“That bad, huh?”

Sitting up, Kenma gives a short huff. “It wasn’t _bad_. It was just… He wasn’t honest with me.”

“And it hurt, huh?” Tetsu asks, moving around the couch to sit next to Kenma.

The other nods and buries his face against Tetsu’s arm. It did hurt. They were once so close, telling each other things that no one else knew. They had dreams and aspirations that they supported each other towards. Keiji wanted to travel around the world to learn about different places to integrate into his stories. He wanted to write a whole series around a cat that travelled between worlds to observe those that would pass on soon. He swore up and down that the cat was not based off Kenma. He even confided in Kenma, after his parents stopped speaking to him, that he wanted to be courted by an Alpha that would never restrict him or demand that he obey his word. He wanted to have a nice house by the sea where they could raise two children, exactly. And then they would grow old and write stories about their life together before passing on.

Kenma learnt, almost seven years ago, that Akaashi Keiji is a dreamer and dreamt nothing more than to have the finest fairytale life.

But he would deny it. Just as the real world would deny him and beat him till it made him bargain his dreams for some semblance of peace.

Kenma remembers the night Keiji called him, voice tight and cold, and told him he was applying for the Prevention Program. Kenma had tried to talk him out of it, really he did, offering to let the Omega come and live with him. But Keiji wouldn’t budge. He had found a path again, even though it was steep, and he was going to take it. It wasn’t until a year later that Keiji would call him again in the middle of the night, but with a trembling voice, telling him the one sentence that had changed his friend forever. Kenma forced him to come stay with him that time. But he left soon after, having left the guest bed neatly made and a note with some cash inside apologizing for his intrusion. After that, Keiji stopped calling, and Kenma stopped answering.

“Yeah,” Kenma murmurs, “It hurts."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope that it raised some questions! I really love talking to people about my writing and constructive criticism is something that I crave, so comments are really appreciated! Also, if you would rather message me privately, you can message me at sweetayakofanfics.tumblr.com 
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope to hear from you guys!


	3. Future Plans and Past Worries

Light sifts through the curtains onto the foot of the queen sized bed, rumpled sheets pushed haphazardly across the middle draped over the waists of two slumbering men. Breath rising and falling in sync with each other, hushed and even. Faces turned towards the middle of the bed with hands in-between them, pinky fingers resting against the other. Space between their legs, but their knees bent towards their partner with a respectable fondness. Fondness is an understatement when it comes to Tooru and Hajime, but they will keep their night life quiet tonight. The two Alphas agreed that they would keep their ‘activities’ to a minimum when the children came to stay with them.

To which they would be thankful for, as a small visitor begins to make their way in-between them, travelling up from the foot of the bed. Small hands press into their knees, attempting to climb over them, making way to where their hands rest. Knees dig into thighs and nails into biceps till both sleeping men wake with shaky alarm.

Tooru shakes his head from a sleepy mist and lifts the blanket to reveal hazel eyes looking up at him, bright and alert.  “Aoi… what are you doing, baby?” His voice rough, reaching for her as Hajime lifts his upper body onto his fore-arms to look at their daughter. 

The tiny Alpha buries her face into Tooru’s chest as soon as he brings her close enough. Her lips remain tight, but a small whimper escapes her chest as her grip on her Papa’s shirt tightens.

“She probably had a nightmare,” Hajime yawns, moving to sit up as well. He reaches out to run his fingers through the tangled mess of hair on her head, Tooru mimicking him soon enough.

“Probably,” Tooru nods, voice quiet as he lifts Aoi up a bit more so he can look at her. “Baby, do you want to tell us what happened? It’ll make you feel better if you talk about it.”

A shake of the head is all he gets before she ducks down to hide her face again against his neck. Tooru glances at his husband with an uneasy glisten in his eyes. Even through the darkness of the early hours of morning, he sees the green eyed Alpha nod in understanding.

“Aoi,” Hajime calls, voice rough from sleep. “Do you want to sleep with us?”

A small nod has both older Alphas smiling. Tooru pulls her away from his neck, his night shirt damp from a few stray tears, and gives a low croon. Two distinct scents blend together in a calming aroma, the girl’s sniffles giving in to heavy eyelids. Settling her in between them, Tooru continues to croon until he is positive she is asleep.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?”

Tooru smiles at the concerned voice, “Of course. Everyone has nightmares.”

“Yeah…”

“Don’t worry. At least she’s asleep now,” Tooru’s eyes soften as his daughter’s breathing evens out. “She looks so cute like this,” He coos.

A smile grows over Hajime’s face, any worry leaving his features. “It won’t be too long before she grows up and-“

“Shhhhh! Don’t ruin this for me!” The other Alpha whines.

“You ‘shhhh’,” a hand reaches out to muffle Tooru’s outcry. “You’ll wake her.”

Batting the hand away, Tooru looks at Hajime in suspicion, “I’m pretty sure she got her sleeping skills from you. You both could sleep through a typhoon.”

“Funny, considering she’s technically your daughter.”

“Wipe that smirk off your face. She’s as much your daughter as mine.”

“But biologically speaking-“

“Biology can kiss my ass.”

“Says the one always getting on me about language in front of the kids.”

“You know I _get on you_ for less than that.”

“ _Tooru_ ,” Hajime gives a low growl. Tooru opens his mouth, but a quiet whimper silences whatever retort Tooru has planned, both his and his mate’s eyes shooting down to look at their daughter. Her brow is furled and she curls further into a ball, back arching in such a way that makes her look smaller than she already is. But her eyes remain blissfully closed as she relaxes closer to Tooru. Both men exhale the breaths caught in their throats, shoulders relaxing.

A smile comes back to Hajime’s face, eyelids falling slowly. “We should probably go to sleep. We’re going to need all the energy we can get for tomorrow.”

The hum of agreement is soft, followed by the whispering of the sheets as his mate lies on the other side of their daughter. Hajime watches with a small smile as the other man reaches out for his hand, creating a nest like barrier around the child. Closing his eyes, the smile doesn’t leave his features.

Unfortantely for the sleeping parents, there is only a couple peaceful hours before Aoi begins to squirm and a growl gurgles in her stomach. A few impatient kicks to Tooru’s ribs eventually leads to the whole family waking up to get ready for the day.

“Daddy, I want chocolate chip Pancakes!” Kazuki tugs on one leg Hajime’s pajama pants.

“No! Banana Pancakes!” Maasaki calls out, pulling on the other leg of his pants.

“Maasaki is wrong! Chocolate chip!”

“Papa! Kazuki is being mean!”

Tooru gives the ‘it-too-early-for-this’ look to Hajime. Hajime makes both.

After cleaning up, wrestling the kids into their winter coats, and compromising with them to remove the coats once the day gets warmer, the older Alphas get the kids buckled into their seats in the car. The car ride is peaceful, with the boys talking about their favorite cartoon show and Aoi staring at the houses passing by. But the energetic storm of 3 four-year olds is always preceded by parents relaxing too much.

With a gasping sigh Tooru throws his head back, flopping down into the wooden bench near the park entrance. It is too hot to chase after three four year olds through a carnival, even in December. And perhaps the years are starting to catch up on the Alpha. But only Hajime would ever point out that before forcing his mate to take a break.

‘ _Hajime was right… these kids have too much energy,’_ He lets out a low groan of frustration as the sun light attacks his vision. He throws an arm up to block out the sun without having to move from his position as a rag doll. Screams of delight echo all around their local park-turned-carnival, but Tooru can pick out his sons’ voices through the noise with ease. His mate is with them, but it still doesn’t ease his protective nature.

There are too many people here- too many scents and noises. It causes Tooru hyper-focus in on his family’s location, following them with his nose and ears. He knows that the kids need to socialize, but maybe they should have saved it for a day when the park is back to normal…

A vibration of annoyance rattles through him, body tensing in sudden surprise. Tooru relaxes as he realizes it’s Hajime’s irritation through their Bond. It always happens when he gets too caught up in everything around him, getting overwhelmed by it all. Which happens often much to Hajime’s inconvenience, leading to a buildup of frustration in said Bond. 

‘ _Sorry, sorry,’_ he chuckles as he feels the Bond even out.

Bonding had never really been an interest to Tooru when he was younger, especially since he never really saw himself with anyone besides Hajime. It was believed that there was no way for people of similar blood types to form a Bond, especially those that had no way to have children. Evolutionary speaking, there was no need for non-procreating pairs to have such abilities, as the Bond was believed to exist to increase chances of survival in breeding pairs and their children. Class after class, year after year, Tooru was told the same thing:

“ _You’ll know when you meet the Omega you’re supposed to be with. It will feel like they are in all your thoughts, and you in theirs…”_

It had been so confusing back then. Every adult would laugh when he tried to say that Hajime was always in his head. They had always been in each other’s’ heads, long before they were even aware of all the studies and statistics against them. But it was there. Always had been since he could remember and, when they had started high school, Hajime revealed that he had the same magnetic feeling in his chest. A _Natural Bond_ is what his sister had called it when she overheard Hajime’s confession. But both boys were convinced she pulled the term out of her ass.

Without purposefully doing so, they began strengthening their Bond. Between study nights, volleyball games, and the occasional fight, they became more and more connected. Hajime began to knock on Tooru’s window when he was staying up too late watching volleyball matches, complaining that his overthinking was keeping him awake. Tooru always showed up with movies and popcorn whenever Hajime’s parents had business trips and left him home alone for the weekend. Even through their university years, separated by day long train rides and expensive plane tickets, Tooru knew he could sleep soundly just by reaching through that Bond. In Hajime’s last year of university, he proposed that they make their bond official, and Tooru couldn’t say ‘no’ even if he wanted to- Hajime would know he was lying.

‘ _That was so long ago,_ ’ Tooru sighs, closing his eyes. So much had happened over the past 30 years

“…Is Papa asleep?”

“Maybe aliens finally abducted his brain.”

A light kick to the shin has Tooru’s head coming up, eyes open with slight offense in them. “So rude! And here I was enjoying the nice weather,”

“Papa! Look at what Kazuki and I won!” Maasaki holds up a stuffed dog, smacking Tooru in the face with it’s snout.

“Yeah! Daddy helped us, but we won!” Kazuki adds, climbing up onto the bench.

Tooru takes the dog to get a better look at the neon green atrocity, forcing a smile. “Good job!”

Hajime sits down next to his mate, resting his arm behind Tooru. Aoi climbs from Hajime’s hold to sit on Tooru’s lap, instantly being brought into his arms. She struggles for a moment before resigning herself to her father’s whims. Hajime chuckles at the sight while their sons argue over who gets to carry the stuffed abomination home. The whole sight is enough to cause a few stares, but most turn into fond smiles. Hajime tells Tooru about the games the kids tried and all the rides they want to go on- once they are tall enough. Before long, the children begin to grow antsy once more and Tooru can only grin at his husband as their sons begin to beg for ice cream, knowing that there was no way they would say ‘no’.

A lot had changed, but Tooru would do it all again for moments like this. Aoi pats on his chest, wanting to walk with her brothers, and he sets her down. There is a vibration of his cell phone in his pocket, but decides to ignore it. He’ll answer it after they get ice cream. He wants to stay in the moment, never forgetting how far they’ve all come.

 

* * *

 

“Hey! We’re supposed to be practicing! Stop texting people!”

“Yeah, yeah…” a lazy wave of the hand brushes away any hint of concern.

“Tetsu, you promised! Who are you texting anyway?”

The raven haired Alpha finishes up his text before tossing the cell phone back into his bag. His bangs press against his forehead with a layer of sweat from constant running and jumping, threatening to poke his eyes before he pushes them back with a shrug. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s get back to practicing,” a smile stretches across his features.

Amber eyes narrow in suspicion. “What were you up to?”

“Nothing! Just texting a friend,” Tetsurou explains as he grabs the cart of volleyballs. “Do you want finish this extra practice or not?”

Still glaring at the other Alpha, the other huffs. “Fine, but you have to tell me what you’re up to after I get the next point,” he points at Tetsurou as he grabs a volleyball out of the cart.

Tetsurou chuckles, following Bokuto onto the court. He knows that he has to be careful not to push the other Alpha too far, but it’s just too much fun to push his buttons. Daichi usually would scold him for it, but even the responsible father of two wouldn’t want to come in on their day off. Even Tetsurou wouldn’t be here if Kenma hadn’t banished him from the house while he works on a new game concept. The black haired man lets out a yawn before serving the ball over the net to his teammate. As the ball hits Tetsurou’s palm, he can’t help but feel a bit bad for not being honest with him.

One sports magazine had explained their relationship as: _Between defense and offense, Kuroo Tetsurou and Bokuto Koutarou have a great balance with each other that conveys well on and off the court_. Their ability to play to each other’s strengths on the court led to many prospective victories for their team. And their energy off the court led to a good chemistry that fans and spongers alike ate up. They became friends so quickly that even Kenma was slightly impressed. He had told Tetsurou it was like watching two five year-olds declaring ‘we’ll be best friends forever!’. So, to tell him he can’t come to a tiny get together because Kenma said so, is not exactly on the top of Tetsurou’s to-do list of the day.

But, as Tetsurou runs up to the front to block his friend’s spike, he knows that as soon he won’t have to worry about it. Of course, he will have to have Oikawa keep it hush hush from Kenma, or else he’ll be sleeping on the couch for the rest of his life. The ball flies behind Tetsurou, landing with in the boundries, and Koutarou lets out a victorious shout.

“Yeah! 10 to 8! I win today!”

“Yeah, yeah,” the taller of the two waves off the arrogance as he walks over to where their bags are. He throws Koutarou his towel but pauses when he sees the text message on his phone.

The sudden smirk on his friend’s face catches Koutarou’s attention. “Hey, you okay?” He asks, a bit wary. The black eyed Alpha is always planning something when he smiles like that.

“Say Kou,” Tetsurou looks at his friend, “How do you feel about Omegas that have been in the Preservation Program?”

“You mean that one where Omegas get paid to have kids from random Alphas? I mean, I’ve only met one person from that group, and they’re pretty nice. But I've never met anyone else from there. Why?”

“Oh, I’m just curious.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope this chapter found you all well! Sorry for it being a bit shorter. I tried to add more, but it just didn't go with the flow of this already off-kilter chapter. I really did have a hard time writing this chapter, but that's not the reason I haven't updated in so long! The reason is that I got an opportunity to do my dream job, which is teaching English in Japan! So yeah, it's been a HUGE change for me, mentally, emotionally, and physically. It was also pretty stressful for the first months financially. But now I'm settled and loving every moment of it! I want to start writing more to exercise my skill, so I hope to be more frequent with updates (which, honestly at this point, I'm just aim for once a month just so that I have some sort of consistency). So thank you to everyone that comments! I will be responding to a few of you that I haven't had the chance to respond to yet. But please tell me what you think! This chapter was not beta-read, as I feel really bad coming out of the wood works to bother my old beta reader. So please tell me if I messed up on anything!

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you guys think! While I have my ideas for my story, I love hearing/reading other people's ideas because it helps me shape a better story! So please don't be shy! You can also message me at sweetayakofanfics on tumblr if you want to talk or request anything there ^^


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